Español The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum have condemned the killing of five journalists in four separate attacks that took place during March in Honduras.

In a letter to President Porfirio Lobo Sosa, WAN-IFRA expressed serious concern at "the alarming increase in violence against journalists in Honduras since the presidential coup of June 2009";, and called on the government to end impunity for the perpetrators.

The most recent murders took place on 26 March when José Bayardo Mairena Ramírez and Manuel Juárez, two journalists from the eastern province of Olancho, were shot and killed while driving on a highway approximately 200 kilometres from the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Both journalists worked on the programme "Así es Olancho", which airs on R.Z. Television's Channel 4, and Radio Excélsior, where Mr. Mairena was the director. Mr. Mairena's car was reportedly found riddled with 21 bullet holes.

These murders follow the shooting of Tegucigalpa journalist Joseph Hernández Ochoa in an attack on 1 March, in which another journalist, Karol Cabrera, was also injured. On 11 March Radio America correspondent David Meza Montesinos was killed in La Ceiba, and on the 14 March local TV station director Nahúm Palacios Artiaga was shot in Tocoa, Colón.

In the letter, WAN-IFRA reminded President Lobo Sosa that "it is the duty of the state to provide an environment in which journalists are able to carry out their professional duties without fear of violence,"; and called on the government to ensure that all murders and attacks on journalists are thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are brought quickly to justice. The full letter read:

"We are writing on behalf of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, to express our grave concern at the murder of five journalists in the past month.

"According to reports, the most recent murders took place on 26 March when José Bayardo Mairena Ramírez and Manuel Juárez were shot as they drove from Catacamas to Juticalpa. A car pulled alongside them and gunmen fired at least 21 shots. The assassins reportedly got out of their car to make sure that the journalists were dead. Mr Mairena was a talk show host and Mr Juárez worked as his assistant on various programmes, including the news programme "Así es Olancho"; broadcast on Channel 4 RZ, Excelsior Television, where Mr Mairena was also the manager.

"The murders of Mr Mairena and Mr Juárez follow the shooting of Tegucigalpa journalist Joseph Hernández Ochoa in an attack on 1 March, in which another journalist, Karol Cabrera, was also injured. On 11 March, journalist David Meza Montesinos was gunned down in La Ceiba, and on 14 March Nahúm Palacios Artiaga, a journalist and director of Aguan TV Channel 5, was shot in Tocoa, Colón.

"We are seriously concerned at the alarming increase in violence against journalists in Honduras since the presidential coup of June 2009. The situation appears to have deteriorated still further since your swearing-in as president at the start of this year.

"We respectfully remind you that it is the duty of the state to provide an environment in which journalists are able to carry out their professional duties without fear of violence.

"We respectfully call on you to ensure that all murders and attacks on journalists are thoroughly investigated and that those responsible are quickly brought to justice. We urge you to take all necessary steps to protect journalists and to end the impunity enjoyed by those who murder and intimidate them.";

More WAN-IFRA press freedom protests can be found here.

WAN-IFRA is the global organization for the world's newspapers and news publishers, with formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe.

Learn more about WAN-IFRA at www.wan-ifra.org or through the WAN-IFRA Magazine.

Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, WAN-IFRA, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris, France. Tel: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: larry.kilman@wan-ifra.org.